


twined in trine

by Serie11



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Fluff, Holding Hands, Nonbinary My Unit | Byleth, Post-Canon, Tea Parties, Trans Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Trans Female Character, coming out party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23325523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serie11/pseuds/Serie11
Summary: There hasn't been a gathering of their whole class since the war ended. Marianne, Ashe and Ingrid have news for everyone.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	twined in trine

Marianne fiddles with the edge of her sleeve nervously. She’s mostly gotten over her apprehension when it comes to most things in life, but she thinks it might be normal to be nervous today. An emotion that anyone would be feeling in her situation.

A knock sounds at her door, and she jumps slightly. Still, she thinks she knows who it might be, so she quickly moves to open it. Sure enough, it’s Ingrid standing on the other side of the door, looking slightly rumpled. Something in her chest eases slightly. If she isn’t the only one who’s nervous, then she can handle it.

“You look strange without your armour,” Marianne says softly.

Ingrid blushes slightly, but she comes into the room anyway. Marianne kisses her gently, and Ingrid puts a hand on the back of her neck and leans into it.

“Is everyone here?” Marianne asks when they break apart. She hasn’t left her room since this morning, but Ingrid has clearly been out.

“Looks like,” Ingrid says. “The Professor is hosting the biggest tea party I’ve ever seen. I would have thought that they had more important things to do now that they’re Archbishop, but I suppose they can make their own schedule.”

“Who is going to say no?” Marianne agrees, smiling.

“Are you good to go?”

She freezes slightly, and Ingrid’s hand finds her own. Marianne smiles at her when she squeezes comfortingly.

“Yes,” she finally says. She hasn’t seen many of her classmates since the war ended, but with Claude taking the time to finally come back to Fódlan, and with Byleth inviting them all to the Monastery, it’s an opportunity that she doesn’t want to pass up. Even if she has big news that will surely make them all gossip.

It’s not bigger news than Ashe has, though. Though a lot of her friends have been informed via letters, this is the first big outing that Ashe is going to as her new person. And with so many people whose opinions are important to her… Marianne would be more worried if she trusted them all less. As it is, and with Byleth and Claude around to have eased everyone into it, she thinks that it should be fine.

Ingrid leads the way, her robin egg blue trousers hugging her legs tightly. Marianne trails behind her a step to take in the view. Ingrid looks over her shoulder and goes red when she sees where Marianne’s attention is.

“Stop that, you,” she scolds, but Marianne can tell that her heart isn’t in it. She skips for a step to catch up with her and tangles their fingers together. “Ashe said she was going to go out and greet everyone, so she should be out there already.”

“What?” Marianne asks. “I thought you were going to come and get me!”

“I think she was impatient,” Ingrid says wryly. “Sitting around isn’t her style. Besides, I think she was nervous.”

“I’m a little nervous,” Marianne admits.

“So am I,” Ingrid replies. “But we know everyone here – it should be fine. After all, they’re our friends, aren’t they?”

“That’s what I thought as well,” Marianne says pensively.

They step out into the sun, and Marianne takes a deep breath. The Monastery grounds are always so calm, and that seeps into the air somehow. Taking the time to focus on her breathing while on the Monastery grounds always calms her down.

They hear everyone in the tea party garden long before they can see them. It’s a controlled sort of chaos that always surrounds Claude, and Marianne quickens her steps. She’s missed him in this year that he’s been away, and she’s been looking forward to seeing him again.

Everyone is here – Raphael and Ignatz are chatting to Petra and Bernadetta, and Leonie is sitting with Lysithea and Annette. Byleth is looking pensive as always, and Hilda’s hands flash through the air as she talks through a story. Claude is sitting between Lorenz and Byleth, eyes twinkling as he takes in Hilda’s story. Cyril is serving tea, ever busy, and Catherine and Shamir are arguing about something in the back of the garden.

Flayn isn’t here, but she must be around since Marianne saw her yesterday morning when they arrived. She finally spots Ashe, tucked away with Hanneman and Manuela, smiling widely. Marianne sighs upon seeing that smile. It means that everything is all right.

“Marianne! Ingrid!” Claude calls upon seeing them. The attention in the garden shifts, and everyone yells out their own greetings. There’s two chairs left at the table with Hilda, Byleth, and Claude, and Marianne steps towards it. Ingrid lets go of her hand and flashes her a smile as she goes to sit next to Annette.

“It’s good to see you Marianne,” Claude says cheerfully. “You’re much better company than some people here.”

“Excuse me?” Lorenz asks, lifting his eyebrows in perfect noble derision. “I would just like to inform you that I am the most esteemed of company, if you have somehow missed that amongst all your scheming.”

“How’s Almyra?” Marianne asks Hilda, letting Claude and Lorenz squabble.

“It’s _so_ cold all the time,” Hilda complains. “Even colder than Fódlan’s Locket! It feels like northern Faerghus. I have to wear furs, which isn’t all that bad actually. I’ve been setting fashion trends among the Almyrans.”

“I’m sure they don’t know what hit them,” Marianne says, eyes crinkling as she looks at her best friend. She’s been exchanging letters with Hilda over the last year, but it’s still good to see her in person.

“But what about you?” Hilda exclaims. “You can’t just leave me hanging Mari. You’ve managed to dodge my questions in our letters but now that I’m here I’m not going to let you escape my questions. _Two_ girlfriends? How did you manage that?”

“I’m not quite sure,” Marianne admits. “Ingrid and I were always close because we always used to work in the stables together… we understood each other because of our bonds to the animals.”

“Ew, work,” Hilda says. “Of course. Actually, forget I asked, it’s obvious how you all ended up together actually.”

Marianne turns her head just as Cyril sets a tea cup down in front of her and pours it.

“Cyril,” Byleth says, their voice calm and collected, as always. “Please, sit down and enjoy some tea yourself.”

“Soon, soon,” Cyril says. “Everyone almost has their tea!”

“Thank you Cyril,” Marianne says. He blushes slightly, and whisks himself and the tea pot away.

“That’s not enough detail for me Mari,” Hilda says, picking up her own tea cup and taking a sip. “Who said what? Who started it? Tell me everything.”

“You’re a terrible gossip, Hilda,” Marianne reprimands. Hilda laughs.

“So adorable even when you’re scolding me! You really haven’t changed a bit.”

The chair beside her moves, and Ashe sits down, reaching out to tangle her fingers with Marianne’s. “Hey,” she says.

“Hi Ashe,” Marianne says, smiling softly. “It’s good to see you.”

“You saw me yesterday,” Ashe teases.

“You two are so cute, it’s almost too much,” Hilda says. Marianne pushes her tea over to Ashe, since it’s her favourite type. Ashe grins at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It’s just starting to get long, but not long enough yet for her to tie it up properly.

“Hanneman and Manuela wanted to chat for a bit,” Ashe says. “Just about our school days. It’s so strange to be back here, don’t you think?”

“The only strange thing is that I haven’t seen the professor out fishing yet,” Marianne says.

“Ha! True enough,” Ashe agrees. She takes a sip of the tea and sighs, closing her eyes for a second.

“How have you been Ashe?” Hilda asks. Marianne lets the atmosphere and the talk wash over her. Her nervousness is already gone – she was silly to be nervous in the first place, she realises. Everything is fine. Everything was always going to be fine.

Ashe draws her into the conversation, and Marianne leans in willingly.


End file.
